1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for lifting and moving pressurized tanks and more particularly relates to a compact apparatus for lifting and moving heavy pressurized oxygen tanks to assist in their installation in and removal from EMS response vehicles.
2. Description of Related Art
Pressurized oxygen cylinders are standard equipment onboard most ambulances and other EMS response vehicles. Most pressurized cylinders are constructed from aluminum or steel. Though lightest in weight, an empty aluminum pressurized oxygen cylinder can still weigh over one hundred pounds.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has no standard which sets limits on how much an employee may lift or carry. However, a sister agency, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), has developed a mathematical model which helps predict the risk of injury based on the weight being lifted and accounts for many confounding factors. The model is based on previous medical research into the compressive forces needed to cause damage to bones and ligaments of the back.
NIOSH has shown through research that a lifting index greater than 3.0 can clearly be linked to an increased risk of back and other injuries. In applying the NIOSH equation for calculating a lifting index, an EMS worker or maintenance individual lifting a one hundred pound pressurized oxygen tank from the floor and stowing it in a compartment of an ambulance would likely encounter a lifting index of 3.9 or higher. A heavier (steel) tank would yield an even higher lifting index. Because of this, a single EMS worker attempting to lift and move such a cylinder faces a significant risk of back injury.
Cylinder storage compartments onboard EMS vehicles tend to be quite small, some barely larger than the cylinders themselves. These cramped spaces further compound the dangers faced by an EMS worker when changing out a cylinder. Because the spaces are small, only one worker can realistically fit within the compartment to manipulate the cylinder.
Some EMS vehicles feature horizontal storage compartments that require the cylinder to be installed either top or bottom first. Traditionally, the EMS worker must physically lift the cylinder from vertical storage and rotate it to a horizontal position without dropping it. This can be extremely difficult given the cylinder's weight, round shape, and lack of hand grips. Once horizontal, the cylinder must then be carefully slid into the compartment where it sits upon stowage rails or guides.
Potential back injury is not the only possible hazard associated with pressurized tanks. The cylindrical shape makes them difficult to grasp and awkward to handle by a single person. However, due to the cramped compartment in which they are stored, only one person can realistically be expected to handle the cylinders. Thus, a real danger exists that a pressurized cylinder being handled could fall from a vehicle unexpectedly. If the cylinder were to strike an object with the exposed valve, the cylinder might rupture. A ruptured cylinder can explode with tremendous force or even become a missile that can cause significant damage to anything it impacts.
Horizontally mounted cylinders also pose hazards to the worker's hands. Typically, the compartment on the ambulance will have rails with rollers or slides upon which the cylinder rests. To remove the cylinder, the EMS worker must grasp the cylinder near the supporting rollers and apply upward pressure to maintain sufficient friction to drag the bottle from the compartment. Often, injuries occur in this process due to the tank shifting and fingers becoming pinched between the tank and the rollers/slides.
Therefore, a need exists for a device that allows a vertically stored cylinder to be securely lifted, transported, and/or rotated horizontally such that it can be safely inserted into a horizontal storage compartment onboard an EMS vehicle. Further, a need exists for a safe and secure device that allows the cylinder to be inserted into and removed from the compartment either top first (valve end) or bottom first (foot end). Further, a need exists for such a device that positively supports and locks the cylinder in the horizontal position. Finally, a need exists for a device that allows a horizontally stored cylinder to be safely and easily gripped to allow an individual to move the cylinder. These needs and others are satisfied by the disclosed invention.